Architalks #23 : Style

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This is the twenty-third post in a group series called #ArchiTalks in which Bob Borson of Life of an Architect gives a group of us architects a theme or a set of questions and we all have to post our response… this month’s theme: “Style”

“Your decorating style is Modern, with a hint of Contemporary and a dash of Rustic” said Houzz, and I agree. What’s on my desk right now is Irving Gill inspired with a hint of Le Corbusier and a dash of Spanish, and where I live is Spanish with a hint of Irving Gill and a dash of The Irvine Company’s genius. Which style should I elaborate on? Or should I just push all this aside and share the stylish black-white and grey wardrobe with the geometric patterns under the title “My Style”. Bob wants us to post all at the same time so that we let our creativity run wild and don’t get influenced by each other’s interpretation of the keyword for Architalks. What if I don’t conform to a style.. am I still adhering to Bohemian?

My reading style.

That’s what I want to elaborate on. Not my studying style, even though I want to run in that direction considering I still have an ARE test to take, and still have to figure out how I will fit studying into work-life-parent-volunteer-caregiver life. It’s boring to talk about studying unless you are talking to people who are studying. I will stick to general reading, architectural reading, and of course how I read.

I have a kindle, I have several tablets with kindle app, and I have bought books on kindle. But I love reading books on real paper. They have to stay on my counter, and haunt me to read them, or they have to grace my book case bringing me the happy reading memories. It cannot be virtual, it has to be real, this relationship. My kindle is filled with books I haven’t finished reading. Although, I have to admit, when I read on kindle no one interrupts me to ask how is book, or whether I have read the author’s other book that they have read. Kindle is the introvert’s defense number one.

Bring on the coffee, and hold the scotch. Drunk reading is as dangerous as drunk driving. If you have the slightest of dyslexia, you know what I mean. You skip a word, you skip a sentence, or sometimes you mix things up. I have had a reading session where I read the same sentence again and again, and wondered what was so important about the sentence that the author felt strong enough to repeat. With coffee, it’s a different story. Bring on the Eames Beautiful Details, and a cup of well made coffee, you have defined heaven to me. I will watch those pictures until they come to life.

I own Neutra, Eames and a stack of Building Construction books. Frank Lloyd Wright is always welcome. The recent addition to the group is Taliesin Dairies, still in it’s original wrapping. That means no one has touched the book to browse through the pages, and I am the first one. My Eames Beautiful Details came home like that, but I didn’t expect Taliesin Dairies to be packaged so. Owning architecture books makes me happy, and I love books in their original packaging. I have taken over a bookcase in the house to put my collection on display, and if I could, I would take both of our bookcases.

I promised I won’t bring up the AREs. Here, I break that promise. Thing about AREs is that even if you put your test taking on “hold” to attend to other priorities in life that moment, they are in the back of your mind. They are like that little dot they use to test your peripheral vision. There is no escaping. With only structures remaining, I have cleaned out my desk and just kept a couple of books I use for Structures. But Structures being Structures, I feel the need to have for my companion dog to calm me down..